IU outruns Minnesota for 30-21 win

Things were looking scary for IU's football team following Saturday's first quarter. The Hoosiers fell behind 14-0 to No. 24 Minnesota in front of a Homecoming crowd at Memorial Stadium. But then the Hoosiers put on the mask of the team that started the season 2-0, and treated the crowd to a 30-21 upset win against the Golden Gophers.\nBehind a strong defense and improved rushing attack, the Hoosiers (3-5, 1-4 Big Ten) snapped a five-game losing streak and continued their home dominance against Minnesota (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten) as the Gophers haven't won at Memorial Stadium since 1985. Saturday also marked the first time IU has won on Homecoming since 2000, showcasing the same victim, Minnesota. The attendance for the Homecoming game was 22,282, the lowest single game attendance mark at Memorial Stadium since 1964.\nGetting a win at home against a ranked opponent is just what the team needed, said senior wide receiver Courtney Roby.\n"It is a big game, it keeps everything alive. Minnesota is a good team and we were able to come out and bring it to them," Roby said. \nThe Hoosiers weren't feeling good when the game started as the Golden Gophers jumped out to an early 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.\nBehind a strong second quarter, the Hoosiers scored 20 points -- the most points scored by IU in a single quarter this season -- and carried a 20-14 lead going into halftime.\nIU had been in this situation before in its Big Ten opener against Michigan State. The Hoosiers carried a 20-7 lead into the break before a second half meltdown resulted into a 30-20 loss to the Spartans.\nThe ground game would prove to be the difference in Saturday's win as the Hoosier defense contained the two-headed rushing monster of junior Marion Barber III and sophomore Laurence Maroney, limiting the duo to 154 yards combined. IU sophomore running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis broke out of his slump, gaining 110 yards on the ground.\nGreen-Ellis, with only 32 yards going into the fourth quarter, racked up 78 yards in the final stanza, including a 27-yard touchdown run early in the quarter down the left side that cemented IU's lead for good, 30-21.\nThe Hoosiers continued their rushing prowess throughout the fourth quarter including the last possession of the game. IU gave Minnesota a heavy dose of vitamin run, rushing the ball every snap of the final possession. The Hoosiers sealed the game with a bootleg run by senior quarterback Matt LoVecchio for a first down.\n"We steered away from the power early in the game, but once BenJarvus (Green-Ellis) busted that one to the left we could feel it," sophomore offensive lineman Justin Frye said. "It was a big monkey off the back."\nThe Hoosiers dominated the running game, out-gaining the top running team in the Big Ten and third in the nation 238-169. IU's defense held the Gophers under their rushing average per game by more than 100 yards.\nHolding Barber III and Maroney in check proved to be the difference, senior safety Herana-Daze Jones said.\n"We know that is their bread and butter, that is the key to their game," said Jones, who led the team with 15 tackles. \nAfter forcing Minnesota to go three and out on its first possession of the second half, IU didn't waste any time extending the lead, pushing the ball all the way to the Gopher six-yard line before senior kicker Bryan Robertson split the uprights pushing the Hoosiers' lead to 23-14.\nMinnesota marched down field on a five-play, 80-yard drive resulting in a sophomore connection between quarterback Bryan Cupito and tight end Matt Spaeth in the end zone bringing the Gophers to within two points of the lead, 23-21. Minnesota would get no closer, as they were held to three three-and-outs in the final period. \nThe second quarter, which has been one of IU's strongest all year, proved true again Saturday.\nThe IU defense, which has made a living all season creating turnovers, answered the call when the team needed it most, as junior safety Will Lumpkin intercepted a pass from Cupito and took it 42 yards to the end zone, putting the Hoosiers on the board and igniting a fire in the team. \nThe forced turnover sparked a 20-point quarter, en route to a 20-14 halftime lead. LoVecchio threw two touchdown passes in the quarter, one a 13-yard pass to Roby, the other a six-yard toss to sophomore tight end Chris Rudanovich.\n"We haven't gone into a game this year where we didn't feel like we can be competitive," DiNardo said. "The story of the game is that we played four quarters against a good football team."\n-- Contact staff writer Dan Click at daaclick@indiana.edu.